Hair pieces

ABSTRACT

A hair-piece having a base of resilient, flexible netting, the meshes of the netting having sides between 2 mm and 10 mm long to permit the user&#39;&#39;s scalp to breathe. Natural or artificial hairs are attached to the netting which is attached to the user&#39;&#39;s head by glueing individual living hairs to the edge of the netting.

[ Mar. 27, 1973 1,665,380 4/1928 Ruffio 3,139,093 6/1964 Frishman.... 1,148,539 8/1915 Samuel....... 2,405,791 8/1946 Lamoureux 3,553,737 4/1971 Bauman......

Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. N. Eskovitz Attorney-Breitenfeld & Levine [57] ABSTRACT A hair-piece having a base of resilient, flexible netting, the meshes of the netting having sides between 2 mm and 10 mm long to permit the user's scalp to breathe. Natural or artificial hairs are attached to the netting which is attached to the user's head by glueing individual living hairs to the edge of the netting.

12 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures United States Patent 1 Molinario HAIR PIECES This invention relates to hair-pieces of natural or artificial hair.

Conventional hair-pieces generally comprise a base made of a natural or synthetic fabric on which natural or artificial hair of the closest possible color to the natural color of the users hair is located. The hairpiece is usually fixed to the users head by means of an adhesive interposed between the base and the skin of the users scalp. In some cases, particularly in the case of hair-pieces for women, the hair of the hair-piece and the users natural hair are dressed together so that the hair-dressing helps to hold the hair-piece in place.

These hair-pieces have several disadvantages. Firstly, the presence of a fabric base, which forms a substantially rigid and uninterrupted cap prevents the scalp from breathing normally. Secondly, it is always a relatively difficult task to fix the hair-pieces to the head. The wearer is compelled to remove them frequently, for example, when going to bed, in order to wash the head, when taking part in strenuous sports, or simply to clean the hair-piece and have it dressed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hair-piece which does not have these disadvantages, which allows the scalp to breathe freely, and which can be kept in place for long periods of time, it being possible for the wearer to carry out any activity normally carried out without the hair-piece.

According to the present invention a hair-piece includes a base adapted to receive natural or artificial hair, the base consisting of a resilient, flexible netting having a mesh, the sides of which are between 2 mm and mm long. The meshes of the netting are sufficiently large not to interfere with the breathing of the scalp, to permit evaporation, and to allow washing of the scalp. Preferably the mesh has sides between 4 mm and 8 mm long. Each mesh is preferably square, but other forms may be suitable provided that the above dimensions are observed to the extent that the interstices must have an area between that of a square having a 2 mm side and that ofa square having a 10 mm side, the limits of 4 and 8 mm being preferential. The netting is preferably made from a plastics material, the superpolyamides, e.g. Nylon, being particularly suitable. In an improved variant, the netting material is elastic in order to increase the possibilities of extension of the netting in every direction.

The netting is secured to the users head by means of the living hair near the bald patch. The netting is cut to the shape of the bald patch and the outer filaments of the netting are associated with the living hair as will be explained hereinafter.

The false hair, which may be in the form of individual hairs, strands or bands of hair mounted on a support, may be joined to the netting by known techniques, for example sewing. Alternatively, individual hairs may be implanted on the netting by glueing as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways and one embodiment and various modifications will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 shows the netting which forms the base of the hair-piece;

FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c show three methods of fixing hair to the netting; and

FIG. 3 shows the location of the hair-piece on the user's head.

The netting G shown in FIG. 1 comprises a lattice of thin Nylon filaments f. It will be seen that the lattice has large interstices M between the filaments. The interstices are square and have sides between 2 mm and 10 mm long. The netting is shown in FIG. 1 in its relaxed state and the various filaments forming the netting are connected together in their relaxed state thus giving the netting as a whole a certain elasticity. It should be emphasized that after expanding the netting will return to the relaxed state shown in FIG. 1.

Natural or artificial hair can be attached to the netting by various means. Bands of hair can be attached using a conventional stitching technique which is used in the manufacture of wigs but preferably hairs are attached individually to the netting as shown in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 20.

FIG. 2a illustrates a method in which each individual hair c is attached to the netting G by means of a spot of glue p which surrounds both the netting filament and the end of the hair.

FIG. 2b illustrates a method in which the end of .each hair is wound several times around the netting filament before the filament and the winding are surrounded by a spot of glue p.

FIG. 20 illustrates a method in which the end of each hair is knotted on the netting filament before the filament and the knot are surrounded by a spot of glue p. It is preferable to use glues which are quick-setting and which can withstand conventional solvents and which do not cause any irritation of the skin. It is therefore advantageous to use the glues conventionally used in surgical procedures, since they have these properties.

FIG. 3 shows the method of attaching a hair-piece to a person's own hair to cover a bald patch.

The netting may be put into position first and then the artificial hair may be attached to the netting or alternatively the artificial hair may be attached to the netting before the netting is positioned on the users head.

In either case, the netting is cut to fit the bald patch so that when the netting is slightly stretched it covers the entire patch. Living hairs from the users head at the edge of the bald patch are then individually fixed to the outermost filaments of the netting as shown in FIG. 3. This fixing is carried out in the manner shown in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c, i.e., by enclosing the root of the living hair and the netting filament in a spot of glue, the living hair being wound several times around the netting filament or else knotted about the filament.

When the hair-piece is fixed to the living hair in this way it is permanently held in position. As the living hair grows, the netting, which has been fitted in the slightly stretched state, contracts slightly, thus ensuring that the netting holds satisfactorily.

It should also be noted that fixing the artificial hair to the netting with a spot of glue gives the artificial hair a similar implantation to the natural implantation of the living hair adjacent the artificial hair and this is an obvious advantage.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention, together with certain modifications have been shown and described, it will be realized that other modifications can be made within the principles of the inventron.

- to which they are to be attached, and covering the individual hair windings and the said parts of the netting with spots of glue.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 in which said glue is a quick setting, skin compatible one, of the surgical type.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by means of individual spots of glue.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein each individual spot of glue attaches only a single false hair to the netting.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by winding an end of each individual false hair around the part of the netting to which it is to be attached, and covering the wound hair and the said part of the netting with a spot of glue.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by knotting an end of each individual false hair to the part of the netting to which it is to be attached, and covering the knotted hair and said part of the 'netting with a spot of glue.

7. A method of applying false hair to a predetermined portion of a bald scalp having some living hairs, comprising the steps of applying a false-hair-support netting to the bald area of the scalp, knotting individual living hairs of the wearer to the parts of the netting to which they are to be attached, and covering the individual hair knottings and the said parts of the netting with spots of glue.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, in which said glue is a quick setting, skin compatible one, of the surgical type.

9. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by means of individual spots of glue.

10. A method as defined in claim 9 wherein each individual spot of glue attaches only a single false hair to the netting.

l 1. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by winding an end of each individual false hair around the part of the netting to which it is to be attached, and covering the wound hair and the said part of the netting with a spot of glue.

12. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by knotting an end of each individual false hair to the part of the netting to which it is to be attached, and covering the knotted hair and said part of the netting with a spot of glue. 

1. A method of applying false hair to a predetermined portion of a bald scalp having some living hairs, comprising the stePs of applying a false-hair-support netting to the bald area of the scalp, winding individual living hairs of the wearer around the parts of the netting to which they are to be attached, and covering the individual hair windings and the said parts of the netting with spots of glue.
 2. A method as defined in claim 1 in which said glue is a quick setting, skin compatible one, of the surgical type.
 3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by means of individual spots of glue.
 4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein each individual spot of glue attaches only a single false hair to the netting.
 5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by winding an end of each individual false hair around the part of the netting to which it is to be attached, and covering the wound hair and the said part of the netting with a spot of glue.
 6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by knotting an end of each individual false hair to the part of the netting to which it is to be attached, and covering the knotted hair and said part of the netting with a spot of glue.
 7. A method of applying false hair to a predetermined portion of a bald scalp having some living hairs, comprising the steps of applying a false-hair-support netting to the bald area of the scalp, knotting individual living hairs of the wearer to the parts of the netting to which they are to be attached, and covering the individual hair knottings and the said parts of the netting with spots of glue.
 8. A method as defined in claim 7, in which said glue is a quick setting, skin compatible one, of the surgical type.
 9. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by means of individual spots of glue.
 10. A method as defined in claim 9 wherein each individual spot of glue attaches only a single false hair to the netting.
 11. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by winding an end of each individual false hair around the part of the netting to which it is to be attached, and covering the wound hair and the said part of the netting with a spot of glue.
 12. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein false hair is attached to the netting by knotting an end of each individual false hair to the part of the netting to which it is to be attached, and covering the knotted hair and said part of the netting with a spot of glue. 